SIXTEEN buildings across the East of England have been named as finalists in the 2010 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) East Awards.

The annual awards aim to recognise architects whose work achieves high standards of design and makes a substantial contribution to the local environment, with this year’s winners due to be announced on May 20.

Among the high profile schemes nominated in Suffolk are Adnams’ new Cellar & Kitchen Store in Southwold, designed by Ash Sakula Architects of London, and the Aldeburgh Music Creative Campus, at Snape, designed by Haworth Tompkins of London.

Ipswich has two nominations, the Suffolk New College building, designed by Sheppard Robson of London, and The Mill development on the Waterfront, designed by John Lyall Architects of London.

Completing the line-up of nominees from Suffolk is a private house at Bawdsey, involving the conversion of a Martello tower, designed by Piercy Conner Architects of London.

The only nomination from Essex is a new Salvation Army building in Chelmsford, designed by Hudson Architects of Norwich.

Norfolk has three nominations, including the Norwich Cathedral Hostry development (Hopkins Architects, London); the OPEN youth venue, also in Norwich (Hudson Archhitects, Norwich); and a private house at Stalham (Acme Ltd, London).

Cambridgeshire has four finalists: Downing College, Cambridge (Caruso St Jon Architects, London); the Queen Katharine Building, Kimbolton School, Kimbolton (RMJM, Cambridge); Creative Exchange, St Neots (5th Studio, Cambridge); and a private house in Cambridge (Ashworth Parkes Architects, Cambridge).

Completing the line-up are two schemes from Hertfordshire, the John F Kennedy Catholic School, Hemel Hempstead (Perkins Ogden Architects, Alresford, Hampshire) and a private house at Bushey (Duggan Morris Architects, London), and one from Bedfordshire, the IPU Building for Keech Hospice Care in Streatley (KKE Architects, Worcester).

Louise Todd, regional director of RIBA East, said: “The RIBA Awards reflect the diversity of architecture and recognise the wide variety of specialist skills involved in delivering good buildings.

“They reward the best buildings throughout the region, allowing for responses to local contexts of style, scale and materials. The awards programme will continue to set ever higher standards for architecture for its members and to promote the results to the public.”